Sober school faces uncertain future

Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 1, 2003

Citing disrepair of the building and a lack of consistent funding, a group of principals from the United South Central school district are advising the school board to close the sober school, in Freeborn, at the end of this school year.

The USC school board heard on the issue at their Feb. 24 meeting, and are expected to make a decision on the school at their next meeting on March 17.

&uot;We know we will need to make cuts next year and we have to take a look at what we want in our reserves for our budget,&uot; school board member Julie Stevermer said. &uot;But we aren’t going to make any moves without really considering our options and what’s at stake.&uot;

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The sober school was started in 1999 in the old Freeborn Middle School building. It was the first school of its kind in rural Minnesota then, and still is one of a handful now.

&uot;There are 14 sober schools in the state, but eight or nine of those are in the metro area,&uot; Greg Spath, principal of USC High School and the sober school, said.

Spath said the school provides something

beneficial for students, teachers, and the community.

&uot;I feel we have responded to a tremendous need for these students, both chemically and educationally,&uot; he said. &uot;The students can speak of a rewarding experience at the sober school. At the same time, I think we, the adults who are working at the sober school and working with these students have learned a lot.&uot;

The school currently has 33 students, in grades 9-12. Students come from districts throughout southern Minnesota: Albert Lea, Austin, Blue Earth, Faribault, Mankato, Waseca, Litchfield, Maple River and Owatonna, among others.

But these students may need to find another school to fit their needs if a decision is made to close down the school.

&uot;I am very disappointed in the timeline,&uot; Bonnie Schuster, who serves on the sober school advisory board, said. &uot;I wish they would at least make a decision soon so that these students can make a choice of what they’ll do next year.&uot;

But closing the school is not the only option being considered.

Moving the program to another building, combining it with the existing high school or repairing the building and keeping the program in Freeborn are all options being discussed.

The building itself is in poor shape, though. The roof needs to be fixed, the cost of which could range from $15,000 to $25,000. There are mold problems, though, according to Spath, the building has been deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency. The broiler is in poor condition and the cost to fix it is more than buying a new one.

Making the proper repairs would cost the district money, and board members aren’t sure whether those funds would be better spent on repairing other district buildings.

Stevermer said that the board is waiting for the results of a long term facilities study before it makes its decision. The study is examining long range planning issues for the Wells and Kiester facilities.

&uot;We are trying to decide, district wide, what our priorities will be,&uot; she said.

She also said that the cuts in state school budget funding and grants for programs, such as the sober school, are considerations as well.

Stevermer said there has been support for keeping the sober school program going from local law enforcement officials as well as from the Phoenix homes, which house many sober school students.

The sober school advisory committee is working to continue on with the program, according to Spath. The group will be looking at applying for grants, having fundraisers and educating the public on the benefits of the school to try to garner support for the program.

If it’s closed, Spath worries that the students will be without the strong structure that has been provided in the past five years.

&uot;I think the program has been a huge success,&uot; he said.